Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
Death of a Teacher by Duffy - Coggle Diagram
Death of a Teacher by Duffy
subject
inspiration of english teachers
eulogy for a former teacher of hers
asks readers to reflect on how influential teachers and school can shape our lives
links to identities
stanza 1 and 2
'poker game' , 'shuffling and dealing , turning , folding'
gambling imagery of trees to evoke sense of life being fleeting and ruled by chance. change can be sudden and unexpected
'drifting down' , 'floating away'
seasonal imagery perhaps conveys that the passing of time is continuous. an endless cycle. everyone dies eventually
the complex first sentence is juxtaposed abruptly with the blunt declarative 'you died yesterday' with the punctuation evokes the finality of death
changes is tenses emphasises the passing of time
stanzas 3 and 4
describe the speaker being transported back to the memories of her youth and the memories she has of her teacher
'hometime, last bell, late afternoon'
the asyndetic triadic structure (leaving out conjunctions) suggests the memories are vivid and intense despite the passing of 'three decades
onomatopoeic description of the teacher 'swinging' her legs
suggests she is carefree and relaxed
stanza 5 and 6
suggests an intellectual and sexual awakening for the speaker
personification of her heart 'stumbled' and 'blushed' emphasised the speaker's lack of control over her emotions
her heart is autonomous
'a scratched old desk' 'the bird in the oak'
the teacher's influence has emphasised the speaker's new perspective
heightened awareness to the beauty around her in nature
exhilaration behind the words 'we were truly there'
the joy at being present and in the moment
teacher makes her feel alive and invigorated
she fell in love 'with the words', presumably poetry
sense of her also referring to the teacher
stanza 7 and 8
recalls things she remembers about her teacher and what she taught her
'smoke from your black cigarette'
rebellious, defiant with a zest for life
declarative ' teaching is endless love '
unwavering dedication to the students
enjambement emphasises the continuation of love
metaphor of the smoke 'braiding with poetry
her love for poetry has been woven with her love for the teacher
the two concepts are now inseparable in her mind
'poems by heart'
implies worship
stanza 9
'gold light'
refers to her love of literature - radiates from her like light
connotes the riches love might have brought her or her knowledge or enlightenment
caesura that follows 'for life' emphases the impact of the teacher 'for life'
ends on an optimistic note and reinforces the permanent impact of the teacher
metaphor of 'book' suggests the chapter lived and still to come
enjambement of the ' lessons ' indicates that the teacher didnt just teach her lessons in english but in life
form/structure
written in couplets
closeness of the bond between the speaker and the teacher
repeated use of enjambement
uncontrolled flood of memories and emotions
irregular for - written in free verse, no regular rhyme scheme of rhythm
to portray the destabilising effect of loss on a person